Technology Integration

This year we decided to offer one hour mini workshops on a variety of technology topics including operating system management, software use in the classroom/lab, and browser use and management.We offered these each Wednesday and Thursday when teachers weren’t stressed about conferences or grades being due or impending vacations.  We planned one hour from 3:15 to 4:15 for each sesson. Many of the sessions were informally driven by the questions the participants asked…..there were four to six participants most often.             One management tool we used was google docs.  Our TC created a spreadsheet for sign ups and attendance for each session. Some sessions were repeats, some singletons.  Our administrative secretary also has permissions to view the document.  I would add the names of those who signed up to the attended list, and the secretary would print out and deliver to their snail mail box a paper certificate of attendance; this would be used for recertification credits.  technology-inservice-opportunities_3.pdf       One afternoon, I spent an hour with six elementary teachers going over the basics of Canvastic, and how it might be used in their lessons.  The next day, I appeared in the elementary lab to see if any assistance was needed, expecting to have to come up with something quickly……and one of my “students” from the previous afternoon was there, her laptop plugged into the projector, telling me that she was going to have her students learn about Canvastic, and I wasn’t really needed.  I was amazed, and stuck around anyway to see how things went…..they did great.     This shows us how technology inservice can directly impact instruction, and one more thing….   It’s a good thing for technologists when they work themselves out of a job!